After losing more than 30 lbs over the course of her fitness journey, Alexa (@alexawinter) transcended her own personal insecurities, proved her naysayers wrong, and is consistently one of the most positive and supportive members of the PumpUp community. Learn about Alexa’s inspiring story as she spreads positivity in every aspect of her life.

Alexa’s health and wellness journey has been punctuated by hardship and doubt, but she managed to overcome her personal obstacles with perseverance and fierce determination. “When I started to lose the weight and count my calories, it was really hard for me to stay on track,” she admitted. “I was so used to eating junk food constantly. There were days I felt worn down and I felt like I was not going to lose any weight—but after the first month of being strict about my portions and mindful of my calories, I lost my first 12 lbs. I knew I wasn’t going to stop there.” Running on a regular basis and eating healthily were both hard adjustments for Alexa at first, but the judgments passed onto her after she lost weight were much more difficult for her to grapple with. “When everyone saw that I had lost 30 pounds in 3 months, I started to hear gossip and rumours from others who called me ‘anorexic’ and ‘unhealthy’,” she divulged. “The comments did not really bother me because I knew I lost the weight the right way, and I knew that I worked so hard for those three months: I did not drink, I did not eat any junk food (minus my one cheat day), and I would run for an hour at least every single day. I worked hard to see my results, and for some people, that was hard to grasp.”

When she joined PumpUp in the summer of 2014, Alexa felt like she was coming home to a community of likeminded individuals who shared her passion for health and fitness. “I think that is why I love the PumpUp community so much. I have come across a lot of positive users, and very few negative ones,” she insisted. “Every single person on the app is there to better themselves, and to motivate each other. Every day people are supporting me and giving me that extra boost to keep going. If I can help another person push through on their bad days/weeks, then I feel even more accomplished.”

Much like Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Alexa became exposed to a whole new world full of diverse perspectives and workout regimens when she began her journey with PumpUp. “I used to run a ton, and I did very little weightlifting and core workouts,” she elaborated. “I was all about that cardio! Having the PumpUp app has exposed me to the lifestyles of other fitness enthusiasts. This motivated me to [shift my focus] away from cardio and towards improving the muscle tone of my body.” PumpUp has become a wellspring of inspiration for Alexa, who checks in to motivate other members as often as she can. “Other people’s healthy recipes have given me many new ideas for my own meals,” she affirmed.

The saying that ‘Insecurity kills all that is beautiful,” resonates deeply with Alexa. Her body is etched with a tattoo of this very motto. It’s a reminder Alexa’s mental state of being prior the start of her healthy and active lifestyle. “I was very insecure, sad, and overall unhappy with myself before my weight loss,” she confessed. “I don’t think I was always the best person towards others because I was insecure. A lot of my issues stemmed from my body image. Once I began to change that, I felt much more happiness.” Self-love and body positivity have both changed how Alexa interacts with others. “My insecurities truly took away from my beauty on the inside, because of how I felt about my body on the outside,” she recounts. “I am a much happier person today, and I am kinder to those around me.”

It’s essential for Alexa to track her own personal progress. She urges others not to give up, even if there are days, weeks, or even months when they do not feel that their fitness is up to par. “Being fit and healthy is not an easy task. It is truly a lifestyle that you need to learn to love and always follow,” Alexa advised. “I don’t think there are any quick fixes to having your dream body. You really need to make fitness and health a main part of your life.”

As she continues to be an all-star at spreading positivity throughout the community, Alexa hopes to serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for those pursuing their own fitness journeys. “PumpUp has allowed me to track my workouts, and also track my progress with pictures,” she maintained. “I hope to keep using PumpUp as a source of motivation that will push me towards my dream body.”

Biggest Source of Motivation

“Jen Selter. I mean really, I am sure she is a good chunk of the woman population’s motivation. My goal in my fitness life is a tiny waist and big booty just like her.”

Alexa’s eats

“Hummus and veggies are my favorite snack. I also love any kind of fruit. I wish I had a healthy recipe to pass on, however I admit I am not the greatest cook! I’m hoping to pick up on more recipes/meal ideas from my PumpUp family.”

Alexa’s favourite workout

“I LOVE THE STAIRMASTER. I have to do it every time I workout. Even if I incorporate some other cardio, it must be done. I think I sweat more doing stairs than anything else, and I love to sweat makes me feel like I am pushing myself. And I really just love working on my booty.”

Fun fact about Alexa

“When I was younger, I broke my right upper arm about 10+ times, and had 5-7 surgeries on it. The oddest way I broke my arm was when I was reaching out for my scooter and my arm immediately cracked. This was after I had a few surgeries to transplant bone marrow from my hip to my arm because the doctor believed it was a bone marrow deficiency. The medicenter found out that my bone was about the size of a toothpick (explains the easy break), because there was a tumor eating away at my bone (not cancerous though). However it was later removed, and pins were put in place to help strengthen my arm as the bone grew back. My arm has not broken since, it has had some weakness and pain at times, however; it does not slow me down or change my workouts. No excuses!”

Follow @alexawinter on the PumpUp app, and keep her pumped as she posts updates of her healthy and active lifestyle! Also find her on her fitness Instagram (@littlefitlex) and on her personal (@lilmunchielex).